Underwater propulsion device

Abstract

An underwater propulsion system is disclosed comprising a foot board with one or more battery-powered propulsion units. A throttle control system may be enabled in the foot board such that a movement of the user's foot controls the throttle. Flattened Lithium batteries allow thin lightweight construction of the foot board. Use of trolling motors as propulsion units provides thrust advantages over pre-existing underwater scooters.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An underwater propulsion device comprising:
 (a) a foot board comprising two separable halves; 
 (b) a battery sealed in a watertight compartment that is integrated with at least one of said halves of said foot board; 
 (c) a battery-powered underwater propulsion unit attached to each of said halves of said footboard and connected to said battery by a watertight connection; 
 (d) an attachment structure on each of said halves of said foot board, with each of said attachment structures allowing for mounting of a user's foot; 
 (e) a throttle control system integrated with said foot board that controls the throttle of said propulsion unit responsive to a movement of said user's foot when said user's foot is mounted in said attachment structure; 
 (f) a first magnet on a first one of said halves of said foot board, and a second magnet on the second of said halves of said foot board, wherein said magnets have an attractive force that holds said halves of said footboard together at at least one connection point without assistance from a user when said halves of said footboard are contacted to each other underwater. 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1  wherein said magnets permit a user of said device to separate said halves of said foot board from each other while said device is underwater by applying a deliberate spreading force to separate said halves apart from one another. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1  wherein said magnets permit a user of said device to separate said halves of said foot hoard from each other while said device is underwater by applying a deliberate force to slide one of said halves past the other of said halves. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 1  wherein said magnets create one connection point between said halves of said footboard, and said magnets allow said user to pivot one of said halves of said footboard relative to the other about said connection point while the device is underwater while keeping said halves connected to one another without assistance from said user.